Spandau Ballet Whitley Bay Ice Rink 19th December 1984

Spandau Ballet Whitley Bay Ice Rink 19th December 1984The next time Spandau Ballet returned to play in the North East, they sold out two nights at the cold and cavernous Whitley Bay Ice Rink. Now very much pop stars, Spandau Ballet released their fourth album, Parade, in June 1984, which featured the hit single “Only When You Leave”. At the end of 1984, they performed on the Band Aid charity single. In a few short years this band had moved from being the darlings of the new romantic scene, playing small, intimate and exclusive events in trend-setting London clubs, to the pop star darling of thousands of screaming fans, headlining massive arenas up and down the UK.
In the tour programme, all of the band wax lyrically about the live experience. Tony Hadley describes it through a poem: “The dream was so real. The colours so clean. The atmosphere a richness that touched all the human senses. An expectation so overpowering that you no longer felt completely in control. A force greater than anything experienced before was urging you forward eager to tease and be teased. The curtain will rise and at once the party begins….Without any doubt at all, playing live is one of the greatest moments of my life.” Gary Kemp: “This is where ‘Parade’ really exists, in the event that we’ll both create tonight!” Martin Kemp: “…our stomachs ache with anticipation and our hands are clammy, this is by far the best time of any year…Welcome to the Parade.” Steve Norman: “Playing live is what we do best and it’s most certainly what we enjoy doing most.” John Keeble: “At Last! Spandau are back on stage and n-one is more pleased than me. I saw Spandau Ballet once more, in 1985, when they performed at Wembley Stadium as part of Live Aid.
I think that covers my ramblings on the letter “S”. It turned out to be a bit of a marathon. I need to double-check, but tomorrow I should be able to start the letter “T”! The end of my project is getting closer….

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4 responses to this post.

Great stuff Peter. I look forward to your ramblings and thoroughly enjoy the daily read. Keep it up.

Spandau Ballet returned to Whitley Bay Ice Rink again in March 1987 for their Through The Barricades tour. I was at that one – a fine show.

I note that you have now exhausted bands beginning with ‘S’………..but where was Silverhead ?
An extremely underrated band who I saw at Sunderland Locarno in 1973 and 1974 and I would list as one of the best bands I have ever seen !

Hi Mitch Many thanks How could I forget Silverhead. I also saw them at the Mecca. I am going from my ticket stubs and programmes, and I don’t have one for them. But I do have an album. Will review them tomorrow morning Thanks for the reminder Cheers Peter

Hi Peter, I was at the Silverhead gigs at the mecca and the city hall with my brother, Mitch and I look forward to reading your account of a brilliant band. I have also noticed that you have exhausted bands beginning with ‘s’ and it looks like you weren’t at my favourite City hall gig – 25th March 1975 – Soft Machine.
Support band Zzebra were great (both albums are brilliant). Soft Machine came on and didn’t speak a word all night to a third full City Hall. They were promoting ‘Bundles’ and the line up was Ratledge, Jenkins, Holdsworth, Babbington and Marshall. Incredible gig – can still picture Mike Ratledge doing a solo bit – as the band were walking off he just played one note that went on forever. Marshall did a lengthy drum solo and Karl Jenkins showed us he had something special and he’s proved it lately with his popular classical works. I would have loved to see them at earlier stages in their career – they promoted the ‘fourth’ album at the City hall in the early 70s but I didn’t go. Anyway, keep up the good work.

HI Neil Many thanks Sadly I wasn’t at the Soft Machine gig at the City Hall in 1975. I’d forgotten, but I saw them at the Guildhall in I think 1974, and also at the Reading festival. You are right they deserve an entry of their own. Will do Silverhead tomorrow and then Soft Machine Thursday Cheers 🙂 Peter